Rowley Properties’ construction of the long-stay Homewood Suites by Hilton has brought a massive crane to central Issaquah.

Peter ClarkPress reporter

It’s not the first one locals have seen, but it heralds the start of the Central Issaquah Plan, which city officials expect to change the face of the valley over the next 30 years or so.

The crane stands over the western edge of the city and so will hopefully not have any impact on surrounding traffic. However, it represents a symbol of things to come as parcels go on sale and some, like the Atlas project on Gilman Boulevard Northwest, sit in the middle of the permitting process.

Building Department keeps up with Highlands expansion

A change in the seasons has seen a frenzy of construction as multiple projects leap to be completed in the fast-developing area of the city.

By Peter ClarkThe Discovery Heights complex continues to take shape as construction proceeds with fervor in the Issaquah Highlands.

With 16 projects in various stages of completion, Project Oversight Manager Christopher Wright said that the next few years would see a large jump in available housing units and square footage: 1,183 additional housing units and 1,186,000 square feet of retail space is planned to sprout up in the planned community.